Solar Thermal Collectors

I Just Got Finished Installing My Solar Thermal System, Its About 3pm and The Sun Has Been Shining All Day. Should I Begin Commissioning The System With Heat Transfer Fluid?

I Just Got Finished Installing My Solar Thermal System, Its About 3pm and The Sun Has Been Shining All Day. Should I Begin Commissioning The System With Heat Transfer Fluid? NO!!! This is dangerous. If your collectors have been sitting in the sun all day they have been heating up. As soon as you introduce the Heat Transfer Fluid in the system it will immediately steam and could cause personal harm. Wait till early the next morning when the collectors are cool to commission the system.

How Do I Mount Solar Collectors To A Metal Roof?

How Do I Mount Solar Collectors to a Metal Roof? SunMaxx makes it easy! No need for roof penetrations. We have clamps that mount directly on the seam of a metal roof, making installation quick and painless!

What Is The Difference Between Flat Plates And Evacuated Tube Collectors?

What is the difference between Flat Plates and Evacuated Tube Collectors? While both types of collectors capture the suns energy and convert it to hot water each have there own advantages. Evacuated Tube Collectors are best used in northern climates where freezing can occur and can be utilized in areas where temperatures drop down to -60°F. Evacuated Tubes are are extremely efficient by virtue of the Tubes themselves. Each Evacuated Tube is hermetically sealed meaning it is highly insulated due to the fact that it is a sealed atmosphere nearly impervious to outside temperatures. Evacuated tubes can also be replaced if damaged, simply by plugging it in, no need to replace the whole unit. SunMaxx Flat Plate collectors use a highly efficient flat absorber material called Tinox which transfer heat to a series of copper tubes which circulate a 50% glycol/water mix. The collectors themselves are in essence a a sealed insulated box which captures the suns energy and transfers it via the Tinox, then through the pipes filled with glycol and into the storage tanks.

MORE ABOUT EVACUATED TUBE COLLECTORS

Can I Mount Solar Thermal Collectors On A Flat Roof Without Roof Penetrations?

Can I Mount Solar Thermal Collectors On A Flat Roof Without Roof Penetrations? Yes you can. Collectors can be attached to our ballast system, which uses the weight of standard patio blocks to hold the collectors in place. Wind load calculations must be done by an engineer to conform to local building codes. With the proper weight attached, collectors will stay in place without putting any holes in the roof. This has been done with our evacuated tube collectors and our flat plates. Flat plates obviously have a much higher wind resistance, and therefore require greater weight to hold them in place. Our ballast system will work with photovoltaic panels as well.

How Can I Match Up Collector Connections On A Roof With The Rafters?

How Can I Match Up Collector Connections On A Roof With The Rafters? There are no guarantees with rafters when it comes to distance apart or consistency. The easiest way to deal with this problem is using the ConnectMaxx rail system. Our roof mounts can be secured where the rafters are, and then our rails can be secured to the roof mounts. All of our collectors can then be secured anywhere along the rails using sliding blocks. When using SunMaxx rails, you can worry less about where the rafters are and more about where you want your collectors!

What is the best angle to position my collectors?

This answer depends on what you are trying to accomplish. For simple Domestic Hot Water systems you should try and position you collectors at the same angle as your latitude. For systems that are tied into the home heating system, as in a combisystem, you should position you collectors 15 degrees higher than your latitude. For summertime use only systems, as in a pool system, you should position your collectors at your latitude minus 15 degrees. For systems that have a high solar fraction, i.e. 75% or greater, you should increase the angle of incline in order to decrease your summertime production slightly.

What is more important, postioning the collectors for maximum aesthetic appeal or maximum solar gain?

Do you want to make this system perform to its highest ability or should it look nice and fit the architecture of the house? We have all seen those albatrosses on the roof that are cantilevered at a compound angle to get a few extra BTU's at the cost of aesthetic appeal. Here are some guidelines to consider when deciding what is most important in determining collector orientation and inclination. For most collectors, tubes or flat plates, the angle of inclination has a 30 degree window of variation and the performance will still be within 95% of the expected maximum. That is, if your collectors should be mounted at 55 deg then you can mount them between 40-70 while losing only a small fraction of energy gain. As for the collector orientation, that window is 60 degrees for Evacuated tubes and 30 degrees for flat plates. These considerations allow you to fit the collector to most homes' pitch and orientation without losing too much energy gain. Obviously you want your client to get the most out of it, but you are more likely to get additional jobs if the collectors are mounted in a way that takes into account the aesthetic appeal. Ask your Sunmaxx Representative for a copy of the Inclination and Orientation performance Chart so you can make informed decisions.

Is it possible to melt snow off of my collectors?

Yes it is. Depending on your type of collector, you can program your controller to manually activate the circulator which will bring heat from your storage vessel and into the collectors, which will radiate that heat back out thus melting the snow. This method only works for FLAT PLATES however and will usually take as much energy as it makes. When the sun is out in full force, the rays passing through thge snow are typically enough to create substantial heat that in turn, melts the snow on flat plates. For Evacuated tubes however, there is very little you can do to melt the snow. If your collectors are sitting at a tilt off from the roof pitch, you should be okay because the snow will pass between the tubes onto the roof. But for flush mount EVT systems, snow can and will build up. However, in my experience, this will only affect the output for a day or two. Becuase if the sun is out enough to make any amount of BTU"S then there will be enough heat wasted at the roof/collector interface that begins to melt the snow alowing it to slide down from the top of the tubes. With only minimal exposure to the direct sunlight, the small amount of exposed tube will begin to yield significant amount of BTU's, even though they are mostly covered. So for tubes, dont sweat it, you are not going to lose much unless of course they get covered by a couple feet or so then perhaps you'll want to sweep them off if you can.

How do I decide between Flat plate and Evacuated tube?

This will be a debate well in to the future. For an more in-depth review please watch this Click here to watch this 1/2 hour webinar. Your decision should be based primarily on the following considerations:

1- Temperature demand- What is you existing application? EVT's will outperform FP's at higher temp load.
2- Climate location- In a general sense, flat plates have more value than evacuated tubes in warmer climates and EVT's will do better in cold, cloudy climates.
3-Aesthetics appeal- This is where there is no "right" answer. Instead, each person has their own personal view. We recommend that you go with it. If they prefer flat plates for that reason then you install flat plates and if they prefer evacuated tubes for their aesthetic appeal, then by all means, you should install Evacuated tubes.

The point is, you really CANT GO WRONG. Each type will yield significant value and in the end, the differences will be negligible.

How do I attach solar panels to my shingle roof without causing leaks?

Our ConnectMaxx roof hooks are designed for any roof. We suggest that each be attached directly into a rafter using two Simpson Strong-Drive screws. Roof caulk can be used to seal these penetrations. (One installer we know used butyl rubber.) Our concave X-mount flashing then fits securely over the roof hook and under the shingles for a weatherproof connection. All of our collectors can be mounted using these roof hooks.